Capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers have been extensively investigated for many years in connection with various applications. In operation, a CMUT is typically biased using a DC electrical voltage that determines the operating point of the device. CMUT signals in operation are typically AC electrical or acoustic signals. For example, an applied AC electrical signal leads to emission of acoustic radiation from the CMUT (e.g., acoustic transmission), and an AC acoustic signal incident on a CMUT leads to generation of an AC electrical signal on the CMUT (e.g., acoustic reception).
In some cases, the use of a DC electrical bias in combination with AC signals on a CMUT can cause undesirable complications. Accordingly, it would be an advance in the art to reduce or eliminate the need for an applied DC bias in CMUT operation.